LEGAZPI City, Albay, Sept. 30, 2014—After an initial assessment of the projected damage after Mayon’s impending eruption, various church groups assure evacuees of their assistance.
Caritas Manila executive director Fr. Anton CT Pascual and Quiapo Church each turned over P500,000 to the Diocese of Legazpi’s “Harong Project” for Mayon evacuees, after an initial estimation of potential damage by the volcano’s eruption done by Caritas Manila, the Church’s social service arm, CBCP-NASSA (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice, and Peace), and Catholic Relief Service (CRS).
Pascual shared it is in times like this when the Catholic Church’s “loving presence” is most needed.
With Mayon threatening to unleash its pyroclastic fury any moment now, some 11,000 families have already taken refuge in 45 evacuation centers in the Albay province.
Fr. Rex Arjona, director of the Legazpi diocese’s Social Action Center (SAC), shared over Radyo Veritas that the ongoing “Harong Project” seeks to respond to the needs of residents displaced by the calamity through various means.
In spite of Mayon’s wrath, Arjona said the celebration of the Eucharist continues unimpeded inside evacuation centers.
According to him, priests have begun saying mass there since September 21, Sunday.
Meanwhile, Radyo Veritas and Caritas Manila have started “Damayan Kapanalig”, an on-air fundraising drive that collects in-kind and in cash for those Albay communities affected by the volcano.
Would-be donors are advised to contact Radyo Veritas at (632)925-79-32 to 39, and Caritas Manila at (632)562-0020 to 25, or fax at (632) 563-93-06, and (632) 564-6678.
Cash donations may be deposited into any of Caritas Manila’s savings accounts with the account name: CARITAS MANILA, INC.:
BDO account number: 5600-45905
BPI account: 3063-5357-01,
PNB account number: 10-856-660001-7
Union Bank account number: 00-030-001227-5
Metro Bank account number: 175-3-175069543. (Raymond A. Sebastián)